Take that inflation!

Inflation and the rising costs of food can make eating healthy a real challenge. A limited budget creates an obstacle for healthy eating, as the cheapest food can also be the most nutritionally lacking. Exciting new plans in 2023 now offer flexible spending accounts with allowance for things like healthy foods.

With the right healthcare coverage, eating healthy just got a lot easier. Shortly after enrolling in your new plan, you will receive a flex spending card in the mail. Once activated, it can be used like a credit card for approved purchases like healthy foods. However, that is not the only option.

Stretch your budget with Healthy Options allowance

The Healthy Options Allowance option from Humana lets Medicare enrolless pay for essential living expenses like healthy groceries, over-the-counter-products, utilities, rent, pet care and more. Healthy Options allowances are flexible!

Allowances range from $35 – $275 dollars a month from providers like Humana. The allowance is stored on a spending account card and replaces the Healthy Food Card, OTC card, and Flex card. This allowance is only available to dual eligible and chronic condition special needs plan holders. It is a different allowance than the Flex card.

Increase your odds of healthy aging with OTC allowance

Eating healthy has proven benefits. Unfortunately, it also comes at a price many of us cannot afford. The healthcare industry is starting to notice that helping beneficiaries eat healthier reduces the financial burden on the entire industry. Healthier enrollees cost plans less and require less care over time. So, what does that mean for you?

Humana offers Over-the-counter (OTC) allowances on many of its plans in 2023. Eligible members can use their OTC allowance to buy non-prescription items and health and wellness items. This can be used in person at any participating pharmacy location, as well as CenterWell Pharmacy™ online and CenterWell mail-order pharmacy.

It can be used for things like:

• Vitamins and supplements
• Pain relievers, cough drops and other OTC medicines
• Toothbrushes, toothpaste, denture cream and tablets
• Cleansing wipes and bladder control pads
• Bandages and first aid supplies
• Stomach remedies

Your OTC allowance is built into your plan benefits and costs you nothing extra. Depending on your plan, you may receive a monthly allowance or a quarterly allowance.

If you have a plan that includes rollover, your unused balance will carry over to your next month or quarter. Be aware that the balance will expire at the end of the year.

New Flex allowances

Eligible plan’s enrollees are given $250 or more annually to use toward their plan’s covered dental, vision or hearing services including copays and coinsurance.